What is the GODOT file format?
A .godot file is the project configuration file for the Godot game engine, the open-source 2D and 3D engine maintained by the Godot Foundation. It is almost always named project.godot, and the folder that contains it is the project root. Godot points to every asset in that folder using the res:// path prefix, so this one file defines where a project begins.
The file is plain UTF-8 text in an INI-style layout. It starts with a config_version line, then groups settings into sections such as [application], [display], [input] and [rendering]. The [application] section carries the important values: config/name for the project title, run/main_scene for the scene that loads at startup (a .tscn file), and config/icon. The config_version number gates compatibility: Godot 3.x writes 4 and Godot 4.x writes 5, and the editor will not open a project whose version is newer than it understands.
The extension arrived with Godot 3.0 in 2018, replacing the older engine.cfg used in Godot 2.x.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWproject.godot is a plain-text configuration file with no executable code, so opening it in a text editor is safe. The risk comes from the surrounding project, not the file: a Godot project can contain GDScript or C# and autoload scripts that run when the project is opened in the editor. Only open projects from sources you trust, and inspect the [autoload] entries and scripts before running an unfamiliar one.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open GODOT files
Windows4 apps
Godot Engine
Open-source Open the Godot Project Manager, click Import, and select the folder that holds project.godot to load the project; double-clicking the file launches the editor if the association is set.
Godot Engine .NET (C# build)
Open-source Use the Mono/.NET build to open the same project.godot when the project uses C# scripts. 
Visual Studio Code
Free Open project.godot as text to inspect or hand-edit settings; the godot-tools extension adds project awareness. 
macOS2 apps
Godot Engine
Open-source Launch Godot, choose Import in the Project Manager, and point it at the folder containing project.godot. 
Linux3 apps
Godot Engine
Open-source Run the Godot binary, open the Project Manager, and import the folder that contains project.godot.
godot (command line)
Open-source Run 'godot --path /path/to/project' or point Godot at the folder to open, run or export the project headlessly.
Any text editor (nano, gedit, Kate)
Open-source Open project.godot as plain text to read or edit the configuration. Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | UTF-8 text |
| Byte order | N/A (text) |
| Container | INI-like sections with [section] headers and key=value entries; keys often use slash paths such as application/config/name |
| Typical size | 1 KB to a few KB |
| Structure | Plain-text configuration listing project-wide settings. Opens with a header comment and a config_version line, followed by sections like [application], [display], [input], [rendering], [autoload] and [global]. The [application] section holds config/name (project title), run/main_scene (path to the startup scene, e.g. res://main.tscn) and config/icon. |
| Integrity | None built in |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Web |
| Config Version | Version tag inside the file that gates compatibility. Godot 3.x uses config_version=4, Godot 4.x uses config_version=5. An engine will refuse to open a file whose config_version is newer than it supports. |
| Notes | The file also acts as the project marker: the folder containing project.godot is the project root, and paths inside the engine are addressed relative to it via the res:// prefix. It replaced the earlier engine.cfg (Godot 2.x and before) when Godot 3.0 switched to the .godot extension. |
| Structure Summary Extra | Godot loads a binary project.godot first if present and falls back to the text form; the text form is what is committed to version control. |
| Released | 2018 (Godot 3.0) |
| Latest version | config_version=5 (Godot 4.x) |
| Specification | docs.godotengine.org |
GODOT conversions
Community Q&A
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